


Waiting

by stupidandwicked



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-13
Updated: 2017-06-13
Packaged: 2018-11-13 15:11:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11187732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stupidandwicked/pseuds/stupidandwicked
Summary: Stiles had been waiting. Waiting for a good time, a day that wasn’t part of a series of weeks of hell. It never came.





	Waiting

**Author's Note:**

> i honestly don't know what to tag this as (or what i tagged it as before) if you think anything should be tagged feel free to tell me. but really this is just some minor angst, a love confession, and a happy ending set basically right after the season four finale (and in a better universe).

Stiles had been waiting. Waiting for a good time, a day that wasn’t part of a series of weeks of hell. It never came. There was no down time, no space in between. So he said nothing and waited for a good time. In someways it was an excuse, he told himself Derek was to busy and overwhelmed to deal with Stiles’ feelings. A combination of no time and fear kept Stiles’ mouth closed.  
  
But then time ran out. Derek was going to die and all Stiles could to was watch. Derek was human and mortally wounded, Derek wasn’t going to make it this time. Stiles could only look on as the life slowly slipped from him. Stiles felt like he was dying right along with Derek. Stiles listened when Derek told him to go, because Stiles was a coward and couldn’t stand to watch Derek slowly die. Scott was the perfect excuse not to do that. So Stiles left with the knowledge that would be the last time he saw Derek alive. And it rotted and destroyed a part of him.  
  
A part of him that turned right around and healed itself when Derek, miracle of miracles, survived. Not only survived but became more. So Stiles made a decision, he would give them both twenty-four hours and then he was done waiting. There was never going to be a good time, a perfect stress free time. Stiles knew he was going to have regrets in life but he refused to let this be one of them.   
  
He only waited nineteen hours.

 

* * *

 

 

Derek wasn’t even sure it had been a full twenty-four hours since they got back from Mexico when someone started pounding on his door. Derek groaned and forced himself off the couch he had slept on. Outside the sun was up and had been for a while so he couldn’t complain about it being too early to however was outside the loft. Derek stretched as he made his way to the door, taking his time in doing so.  
  
“Derek, open the door,” Stiles slightly muffled voice said from the other side of the door. Derek sighed and pulled open the door.  
  
“What are you doing here Stiles?” Derek asked, expecting Stiles to say something sarcastic about the greeting. Instead Stiles said nothing just stared at Derek. Or rather right over Derek’s shoulder. “Stiles?” Derek prompted.  
  
“You almost died,” Stiles said suddenly. “But you didn’t, you’re still here and I-” Stiles stopped and then opened and closed his mouth several times in false starts.  
  
“Are you okay?” Derek asked.  
  
“I’m fine,” Stiles answered quickly. “Well not really, I mean I’m fine overall but I’ll actually be fine, for real, after I say what I need too.” The words were rushed and Derek didn’t exactly understand what Stiles was saying.  
  
“What?” Derek asked.  
  
“Look, can I come in?” Stiles asked and Derek nodded before he moved aside to allow Stiles to enter. Stiles stepped into the loft but remained by the door even as Derek closed it. Stiles then leaned against the door frame and Derek moved to stand a few steps in front of him. It was a few silent moments, tense and awkward, before Stiles spoke again.  
  
“First you need to know it wasn’t you almost dying that made me realize I ca-” Stiles stopped abruptly and shook his head slightly “Love, that’s the right word, that’s what this is. I love you, Derek, and it wasn’t you almost dying that made me realize that. I’ve known for a while.”   
  
Derek could say he was shocked by Stiles saying he loved him but that would be a lie. Mostly. Derek knew Stiles cared about him, strongly. Love though, Derek hadn‘t been sure of that. The confession still seemed sudden though, but really it had probably been a long time coming. “Then why now?” Derek prompted when Stiles didn‘t continue.  
  
“Never the right time. Or any time, really,” Stiles answered. “It was during the summer I helped you look for Erica and Boyd, I knew for sure then. It didn’t seem like the right time to say anything though. I decided that after we found them I’d say something but we didn’t and then there were the alphas and just a giant shit storm honestly. But we came out alive, hurting but alive. I wanted to say something then but I thought it would be too soon so I decided to wait, again.” Stiles paused and sucked in a breath as he pushed away from the doorframe. The loft was still a mess, hadn’t been anytime to clean it. Not that Derek had seen any point in doing so before they left. Before they left he wasn’t coming back. Stiles sat down on the couch, his back to Derek now. Derek remained where he was, eyes fixed on the back of Stiles’ head.  
  
“Come here, please,” Stiles requested but Derek didn’t move. “Derek, I don’t want to have this conversation with my back to you. I know feelings make you uncomfortable but this is important so would you please come here and sit down.” Derek moved, walked to the couch and sat a careful foot away from Stiles. Stiles turned to look at Derek and smiled, small and weak but sincere.  
  
“So, back to my epic love confession,” Stiles said, trying for a joking tone that fell flat. “I decided to wait and you left, without a word which was kind of shitty by the way.”  
  
“I needed to go, Stiles, there were things I had to do,” Derek responded “and I didn’t think you’d actually care.”  
  
“You’re so stupid, Christ Derek. I know that I used to send conflicting messages about weather I cared or not but by that point I figured it was obvious that I did, and do, care,” Stiles stated. “Do you just chose to be blind because you don’t believe you deserve anything good?”  
  
“I knew you cared, Stiles, okay? I knew that you did, I’m not stupid or oblivious. It was just easier to think that you wouldn’t. I didn’t want to see you before I left, I didn’t want to have you ask me if I was coming back because I didn’t know if I was. If you had asked, if you had said you wanted me to come back I would have.” Derek said, exasperated. Derek sighed and leaned back and pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes.  
  
“Feelings suck, hu big buy?” Stiles asked, jokingly and Derek could feel Stiles move into a new position that had his knee just barely touching Derek’s thigh. Derek dropped his hand and turned his head to look at Stiles, who had his back pressed against the corner of the couch and one leg folded up with the foot tucked under the opposite leg. With one arm stretched across the back of the couch and a slight smile that was almost a smirk Stiles looked comfortable, relaxed. Derek, however, could see the tension in his posture, how he held himself too stiffly to be truly relaxed.  
  
“I think I can understand now, why you left like that,” Stiles said. “I would’ve asked for you to come back and evidently you would have. Even if you hadn’t actually wanted to. I wouldn’t have wanted that.”  
  
“I didn’t want to come back but I knew I would,” Derek admitted.  
  
“I’m glad you did, even if I wasn’t at my best when you came back,” Stiles said, once again trying for a joking tone and falling flat. “I thought I’d never see you again because you left and then I thought I’d never see anyone again because I got myself possessed.”  
  
“You didn’t get yourself possessed,” Derek said.  
  
“Kinda did,” Stiles countered. “But I know what you, and everyone else, means. I wasn’t messing with Ouija boards and satanic rituals or any horror movie stuff like that. I just drowned myself and opened a door I failed to close in time. I know I didn’t actually get myself possessed, that I didn’t invite it,” Stiles stopped and sighed. “That brings us to yet another reason why I didn’t say anything. I blamed myself. I hated myself for awhile. I was convinced everyone else did too. I felt like a monster and if people didn’t even like me then how could someone love me.”  
  
“Stiles-” Derek started but Stiles held up a hand and shook his head.  
  
“I know what you’re going to say. I know that you know what that feels like, to blame and hate yourself for something. I had so many people tell me it wasn’t my fault but…” Stiles looked away and Derek could see his tongue moving against his bottom teeth. “My Dad and Melissa handled the security camera footage from the hospital. After they watched it. Danny helped with that, editing it, so he saw it too. I know my Dad loves me but he was never fully in a room if I was there for almost a month after that. I was always ready to get the hell out and I don’t blame him. Melissa actually avoided me for a while, I don’t blame her for that either. It didn’t even really hurt, to me it was perfectly reasonable. Danny though, he doesn’t even look at me anymore. He had all of his classes changed so we have none together, even dropped off the team.”  
  
“He’s an asshole,” Derek said, almost automatically.  
  
“No he’s not,” Stiles said. “He’s scared, and rightfully so. I don’t hold it against him. But I thought that’s they way everyone would react. I expected Scott to hate me but he didn’t. None of them did. They might have been cautious for a while but they never hated me. I know you didn’t even though you never came around to check on me.” Stiles said with a small smile and then added teasingly “at least when I was awake.”  
  
“Wha- Who?” Derek asked, shocked - and a little embarrassed - that Stiles knew.  
  
“You’re not the only werewolf that visits my room, Derek. Scott knew and told me when I asked why you hadn’t been around.“ Stiles explained. “It’s fucking creepy that you would literally crawl through my window and watch me sleep, that’s not romantic no matter what supernatural teen romance books say. But I still appreciate the fact that you checked up on me. Just do that when I’m awake from now on.” Derek just nodded in response, the tips of his ear feeling warm with embarrassment. Derek looked over again and Stiles was smiling softly and his posture was more relaxed. Stiles smile only lasted for a few seconds before it fell away and he shifted again, this time moving closer to Derek.  
  
“These past few weeks have been some of the craziest yet. You were abducted and deaged, we were all put on a supernatural hit list, you lost your powers and then came back to life with the badass ability to turn into an actual wolf. It was fucking insane Derek and to finally answer your question of why now I’m done waiting. Despite all the times you almost died before, sometimes right in front of me, you always made it. You always survived. This time you died, you weren’t going to make it.” Stiles closed his eyes and Derek could see the tension in his jaw. Derek reached out and cupped the back of Stiles’ head, fingers pushing into the other man’s hair. Derek pressed his forehead against Stiles’, keeping his own eyes open while Stiles’ remained closed.  
  
“We both kept waiting for a better time. Kept making excuses not to say anything. I’m done doing that.” Derek said and Stiles finally opened his eyes again. Derek could see the tears Stiles had been fighting back welled up.  
  
“So am I,” Stiles agreed and Derek watched a smile form on Stiles’ face. “So are you gonna kiss me now or what?” Stiles said, his happiness and relief evident. Derek tilted his head and pressed his lips against Stiles’. Stiles moved his hand to hand to either side of Derek’s neck, fingers teasing the light hair at the base of his skull. Derek moved his free hand to Stiles’ neck as well and pressed his thumb to the teen’s pulse point. Derek could already hear Stiles’ heart but now he could feel it too, racing in elation.  
  
Stiles pulled back slightly, breaking their kissing. “So this does mean you love me back right?” Stiles asked.  
  
Derek huffed out a laugh and smiled. “Yes, Stiles, I love you too,” he confirmed.  
  
“Good,” Stiles said and pressed two quick kisses against Derek’s lips. “You do know this means you’re stuck with me?”  
  
“For how long?” Derek asked.  
  
“Let’s start with forever,” Stiles answered.  
  
“Sounds good,” Derek responded.  
  
They were going to be good together, Derek figured. They wouldn’t be perfect but nobody really was. They were both hurt and damaged but not broke, not anymore. They were both kind of assholes who got on each others nerves sometimes but any fight that might spawn probably wouldn’t last that long. They’d need to talk about things that actually mattered, even though they both sucked at it but Derek was willing to learn how. It might of taken a while but they got to where they belonged in the end: Happy and with each other.


End file.
